Meet School Committee candidate Jenny Graham

 How many years have you lived in Medford? 19 years.  With my husband Scott, our dog Maddie, and our two children.  Lila is a Junior and Lucas is a freshman, both at MHS.

Please describe your professional background and education. 
I own a Medford-based consulting business, Zelus, LLC, where I advise government agencies and corporations on strategic planning, core business functions, change management, and learning design and delivery.  I founded Zelus 21 years ago.  We are a certified Women’s Business Enterprise.  I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Babson College.

What, if any, city positions (appointed or elected) have you held, and for how long?
I’ve been on the School Committee for 6 years, 4 as the Vice Chair.  In 2024, I was unanimously nominated by the School Committee to chair the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee to bring a reimagined MHS to Medford.  I was also appointed by Mayor Burke in 2017 to serve on the Superintendent Search Committee

What volunteer roles have you participated in that you feel have made a difference in Medford? 
Before being elected, I served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Brooks PTO and was one of the founding members of the Medford Citywide Elementary Alliance in 2018.  I was also the fundraising chair at the Brooks and led the Annual Fall Fest team for 5 years.  

Why should residents vote for you? Because I have a proven track record of results for our schools. Check out my website for more information about me, my platform, and many of the issues I’ve tackled over my three terms: electjenny.org.  A few of the things I’m particularly proud of:

• Led efforts to make a historic investment in our schools with the passage of two important ballot questions that will infuse the school budget with $7 million and end the cycle of cutting and doing less.  
• Chaired the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee and guided the district successfully through the initial phases of the MSBA process well ahead of deadlines. The quicker we move, the sooner a new building can support students and staff, and the less it will cost the community.
• Led negotiations to secure a new schedule that increases the length of the school day, fixes structural issues with our school schedules, and increases access to academic exploration and enrichment for our students.  
• Settled nine contracts with our union partners and led internal efforts to improve the efficiency of school operations that support our staff.  Made historic investments to pay our teachers and paraprofessionals competitively. 
• Transformed the School Committee’s capital planning process to demonstrate our capital needs clearly.  We are investing in significant projects to replace our failed HVAC systems, upgrade our security systems, and invest in our digital infrastructure.  
• Developed plans to dramatically increase access to Medford’s after-school programming in the next few years.
• Chaired the Family Engagement and Communications and Strategic Planning Subcommittees and sat on the Rules and Policy Subcommittee.

Tell us –

Why are you running or running again for School Committee, what changes do you believe you can facilitate?
A friend said to me earlier this year that things in MPS finally aren’t falling apart. I feel this in my bones.  We are rapidly turning the corner, and we can be a top-tier school in no time if we keep on this pathway. Next term, I’m ready to continue this progress and:

• Lead the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee to accelerate our path to a new MHS, serving students sooner and reducing project costs.  
• Fight for the budget needed to support our students, care for our school buildings, and bring increased transparency to district finances.  
• Amplify the voices of our community as we create our next strategic plan, address space constraints, and improve the quality and performance of our schools.
• Increase wrap-around support for families by offering more after-school and summer care options, expand pre-K programs, and emphasize the importance of communication between home and school.

What do you see as the top issue with the School District?
MPS has undergone a tremendous amount of change in the last year.  We have welcomed a new interim Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Director of English Learners, Athletic Director, and Chief Operating Officer, to name a few key roles.  Each of these positions had a deep applicant pool of highly qualified candidates to choose from. Our selections as a district bring with them a wealth of deep experience in their respective fields.  At the same time, we’ve negotiated transformational contracts with many of our staff to change the school day for students completely. With this much change, our new staff will have to settle in and work as a team with a shared vision, while launching a school year and seeing the implementation of our new school schedule through to stabilization. Ultimately, this team needs to assess what's working and what isn’t and make continuous improvement to the school day beyond this school year.  

At the same time, the team needs to do more than we’ve ever done before. The community has invested and will be expecting to see improved outcomes. They’ll also need to create a vision for the future of education in Medford, and particularly at the High School, as the MHS project kicks into high gear in the next year. I think all this is to say that our top issue is managing a very full agenda, with very little time, and very high expectations. I’m ready to champion the kind of change our kids deserve and know they are too.

With potentially deep cuts in federal funding and a local budget stretched thin –what are your budgeting priorities and how do you propose to make them happen?
Caring for the future of students while the foundation is constantly shifting underneath us is quite an undertaking.  We successfully navigated a smooth off-ramp from pandemic relief funds, made historic investments in our schools, and are laying the groundwork for a bright future. But this could all change at any moment, and across the world of education, we hold our breath daily that federal funding will not be eliminated.  Medford relies on Federal Funding for 14 teachers, professional development, and nearly $1 million in special education funding.  At a total of $2.6 million, this is more than 14% of the amount of state aid we received this year.  

Put another way, our FY26 budget increased by $4.6 million in total.  Only $101,000 of that amount was dedicated to new spending. The rest was allocated to funding contractual increases in collective bargaining, maintaining class sizes, and maintaining our buildings.  There simply is no way to absorb federal funding cuts without harming students and programming.

Medford needs a revenue plan that can create the smart growth in city services our residents are clamoring for. A plan like this will create resiliency when the unexpected happens and position us to move forward. As a member of the city’s first-ever Finance Task Force, I am here to support the Mayor as she creates a revenue plan for the next decade. That plan will be pivotal as we continue to manage recovery from underfunding our budget for many years, all while bringing a new high school and fire headquarters to our community.  Such a plan is essential so that our city staff can continue to grow and support the changing needs of our residents, and it is the only way to do all of this without becoming a community that relies on tax overrides. We’ve only done one override ever, and I think we should work hard to create a more resilient budget that says yes to the things Medford needs now and in the future.  

What role should the community play in supporting the education of children?
Medford has embraced its most critical role in supporting the education of children. In November 2024, Medford told us loudly that they understand that a community needs to invest in our schools. Their clear message allowed us to fund improvements in school infrastructure, support teacher development, and avoid devastating staffing cuts. Medford has shown that it understands education not just as a public service, but as a moral and civic imperative. Education is a great equalizer and the foundation of our democracy. I’m so proud to live in a community that shares these values for all of us.

What book is currently on your nightstand? (just for fun)
I wouldn’t call this a fun one, but I’m reading “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter” as part of a professional book club I belong to!